G3 Conference 2023: Day 2
By Elizabeth Prata
We slept well and had a hot breakfast offered by the SpringHill Suites at Marriott. The breakfast was free and it was unusually lavish. Usually “free breakfast means they throw a cellophane wrapped muffin at you and say see ya bye”. Not the SpringHill Suites. They had hot eggs, sausage, granola, cheerios, biscuits, muffins, bagels, iced water, juices, and more stuff I can’t even remember. It was nice to relax in the breakfast area over a hot meal and speak with the fellow conference-goers around me.
Our venue is across a small road with a path to it. The bookstore is almost straight ahead, so that’s where we headed.
That feeling when you’re almost the first people in the bookstore at opening and you have it all to yourself.
So I bought 2 more books. But that’s it. No more. Done. Fini. The end. Fade out. Really. I mean it.
Our first session on Day 2 was Canadian pastor James Coates. James was jailed in a maximum security prison in Edmonton during the covid era so called pandemic. He brought a message about the Sovereignty of God in Election from Romans 9. His message was clear, indicating he is clear thinker, and his demeanor was humble and reverent. I enjoyed his sermon.
The auditorium is huge. There are more than 8,200 attendees, and from front to back feels like a mile. But the acoustics are good and there are jumbo-trons stationed all over, so there is no really bad view.
“God cannot pursue less than His own glory.” ~James Coates
We went straight to the next session, James White of Alpha & Omega Ministries with a message I was really interested in: God’s Sovereignty over Time.” Dr. White focused on Isaian 41 and God (speaking through Isaiah) calling the idols to account in His legal courts. God’s sovereignty is then demonstrated by His precision in prophecy. I want to go back and re-listen to this one.
All the sessions and breakouts were livestreamed, captured on video. When they are finalized with editing I will happily re-watch. I know I will pick up more concepts the second time and the Spirit will further renew my mind and enlarge my heart for Jesus.
“God desires to reveal Himself and be known by His people so they can know what He is doing and they can love Him properly.” ~James White
I attended a luncheon with some G3 people which was very ice to be away from the hubbub, and then meandered through the Exhibit Hall where all the vendors were. I LOVED meeting everyone! Martha Peace, Susan Heck, Doreen Virtue, Steadfast Women, Allen Nelson and his wife and daughter, ReggieP2 at GBTS booth, Phil Johnson, Justin Peters, Gigi’s Sewing Room…tweeps from Twitter and Facebook.
My friend and I also ran into our other friends from church who are separately attending. I love seeing the joy in their young faces as they breathlessly recount insights gained and how much they love Jesus as they come to know Him more. Really Spirit shining faces. It does an older woman like me so good when I see the Lord raises up the next generation for His name.
On to the session with Justin Peters. I love this man and I think highly of him. His talk was on “False Teachers and the Sovereignty of God.” He demonstrated how false teachers oppose God in a myriad of ways; by attacking His sovereignty in our sickness & suffering, solitariness, omniscience, in Creation, and in general.
He showed clips of the ways these false teachers oppose God and their comments were breathtakingly, jaw-droppingly blasphemous statements from their own mouths. Several of these false teachers were teaching that God needs us and needs our permission to do anything.
“God does not have a man-shaped home in his heart.” ~Justin Peters
“False Teachers hate God. They only love the god they have created as an idol.” ~Justin Peters.
The final session we attended, though there were two more afterwards, was the highly popular Q&A with all speakers. Lined up on the stage, absent Paul Washer, were L-R, Scott Aniol (cut off), James White, Owen Strachan, Voddie Baucham, Josh Buice, James Coates, Mike Riccardi, Steve Lawson, Phil Johnson, and Moderator Virgil Walker.
A favorite question is always about what books they are reading or what books have impacted them. Virgil asked the men what book on the soveeignty of God has impacted them most. A frequent answer from all the men was Jonathan Edwards’ The End for Which God Created the World. Also popular was AW Pink’s book The Sovereignty of God.
Paul Washer came walking in at that point. Steve Lawson asked “Why are you late? Paul washer answered “There is one answer to that: I am a missionary”. When the audience finished clapping, Washer continued, I was sharing the Gospel with a beautiful young lady. There is nothing more important than that.”
Amen, Mr. Washer. Amen.
Though there were two more speakers to come, Washer and Voddie Baucham, my friend and I headed back to the hotel to decomopress and discuss our day.
The Movie The Essential Church was going to be shown at 7:30pm, but just as the moderator was about to come on stage, a bomb threat was called in. Thousands were evacuated from the Georgia International Conference Center, and rather than despair, many of them went next door to the nearby hotel lobby and they began singing the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness.
Amen.
I’ll recount the final day later when I get home tomorrow afternoon.
